Entangled With My Rival CEO

Chapter 30

The sky was a deep shade of blue-black, the sun long gone. The street lights flickered on, casting an orange hue on the pavement below as Alexander drove his car down the quiet road.

His eyes were fixed on the path ahead as he gripped the steering wheel a little tighter.

With a quick check to ensure his phone was still connected to the car's Bluetooth, he reached for it and opened his call log, clicked on Camilla's name before pressing the Call button.

After several rings, her voicemail message started to play. "You've reached Camilla," her gentle voice said. "I'm unavailable at the moment, but please leave a message, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can."

Alexander hesitated, unsure of what to say. This was the fifth time he had tried to confirm with her about when she wanted him to pick her up for her grandmother's birthday celebration, but she hadn't answered any of his calls.

With a sigh, he decided to head straight to her office and took a U-turn.

As he drove, he couldn't help but wonder why she was avoiding him. "Is it about what I said last night?" he whispered to himself.

"Or is something else going on?" Thirty minutes later, he arrived at a grand, imposing building and parked his car outside.

The exterior was sleek and polished, made of glass panels that shimmered in the streetlights, reflecting the surrounding buildings like a mirror.

Taking a deep breath, Alexander got out of his car and approached the impressive double doors.

They were framed in shiny metal that seemed to shine even brighter than the glass. He walked inside and was met with a spacious and luxurious lobby.

The opulent room boasted gleaming marble floors and walls adorned with intricate gold and silver patterns.

The space was illuminated by a series of large, crystal chandeliers that cast a warm and inviting glow.

Alexander strode over to the reception desk where a young woman with impeccably styled hair and bright red lipstick was typing away at her computer.

"Excuse me," he said to get her attention.

She lifted her eyes off the computer and flashed a warm smile."Good evening, sir. How may I assist you?"

As he was about to respond, a young woman's voice called out from behind him.

Alexander turned to see a tall brunette with a beaming smile. "I suppose you're here for my boss?" Lauren asked cheerfully.

"Yes, um...is she here? I need to see her," he replied nervously, walking over to meet her.

Lauren's smile turned sympathetic. "I'm sorry, but she left a while ago. She had to go to her parents' house for her grandmother's birthday, so she went home to change," she explained.

"I know, that's why I'm here. I've been trying to call her, but she's not answering," Alexander explained, feeling frustrated and concerned.

"You know about her grandmother's birthday?" Lauren asked curiously, but her tone sounded more like surprise than mere curiosity.

"Um, yeah," Alexander mumbled awkwardly.

"Her mom called me this morning to tell me about it. Since then, I've been trying to get a hold of her to know what time she would be ready so I could come pick her up," he explained, frowning slightly as he noticed Lauren's eyes widened at his words.

"Mrs. Kings told you that herself?" she asked, sounding more surprised than anything.

"Yes, she did," Alexander replied warily.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked, worriedly, after realizing Lauren was staring at him oddly.

She blinked a few times, seemingly shocked out of whatever stupor she'd been caught in.

"No, no," Lauren responded, smiling awkwardly at him.

Lauren quickly fished her phone out of her blue handbag and dialed Camilla's number, holding it up to her ear with a sense of urgency.

"Let me just give her a call to... you know... let her know you're here," she said to Alexander.

As she waited for Camilla to answer, Lauren muttered under her breath, "Come on, come on. Pick up."

Her anxiety was palpable as she hoped to pass along the information that Camilla's mother had gone ahead and invited Alexander against Camilla's wishes before it was too late.

After a few seconds, Lauren shook her head and ended the call.

"She's not answering. Maybe her phone isn't nearby," she suggested, looking visibly nervous.

"Alright, then," Alexander said hesitantly, disappointment evident in his voice.

"I guess I'll have to go to her house, then." He let out a deep sigh before turning to leave.

As he got in his car and drove away, Lauren looked like she wanted to stop him but instead muttered to herself, "Oh boy, there's going to be one hell of a drama at the Kings' tonight."

•~•~•~•~•~•

Camilla stood in front of the dressing mirror, scrutinizing her reflection.

She tilted her head to the side and slowly raised her hands up to cup her breasts, noticing that they seemed a bit fuller than before.

"Ugh, why does this always happen when I gain a little weight? I already have big breasts, I don't need more," she groaned in frustration.

Camilla dropped her hands and grabbed her robe from the hook on the back of the door. "I guess I need to work harder on my workouts," she concluded, tying the sash around her waist as she left the bathroom and entered her bedroom.

As soon as she stepped into the bedroom, there was a knock on the door. "Yes, who is it?" Camilla asked.

"It's Lily, ma'am. You have a guest waiting for you in the living room," her housekeeper informed her.

Camilla's mind raced as she tried to make sense of Lily's announcement. "A guest?" she asked incredulously.

"It's Mr. Cena, your boyfriend," Lily replied with a hint of excitement.

Camilla's heart skipped a beat at the mention of Alexander's name and quickly went to open the door.

"Alexander's here?" she asked breathlessly, unable to hide her astonishment.

Lily nodded politely, observing as Camilla quickly regained her composure. "Yes, he just arrived," she confirmed.

Camilla nodded slowly, still trying to process the unexpected news. "Oh, okay, I'll be right there," she said softly, closing the door behind her and taking a few moments to compose herself.

As she walked over to her closet to find something to wear, Camilla muttered to herself, "What on earth is he doing here?" She rubbed her forehead wearily, feeling a mix of anxiety and confusion.

Five minutes later, Camilla descended the stairs and caught sight of Alexander conversing with Lily in the living room. Their heads turned towards her as she entered the room.

"There you are," Alexander exclaimed with a wide grin.

"Excuse us, Lily," Camilla said, nodding at the housekeeper who promptly left the room.

"Why are you here?" Camilla asked cautiously, crossing her arms over her chest and eyeing Alexander suspiciously.

"What do you mean 'why am I here'? I've been trying to call you, but you didn't answer," he explained, still looking slightly puzzled.

"And that's why you came here?" Camilla asked with an arched eyebrow.

"No, of course not," Alexander replied, shaking his head emphatically.

"Then why are you here?" Camilla repeated, narrowing her eyes at him.

Alexander pursed his lips, his expression thoughtful as Camilla looked at him in confusion. "Isn't today your grandmother's birthday?" he finally asked, his tone curious.

Camilla's eyebrows furrowed. "How did you know that?" she asked, suspicious.

"Your mom told me," Alexander explained simply.

Camilla raised her eyebrows incredulously. "My mom?"

"Yeah, and Lauren mentioned it when I stopped by your office earlier, but your mom told me first," Alexander said with a nonchalant shrug. "She called to check if you told me about the birthday celebration happening tonight at 7pm. When I said no, she said that you probably forgot to inform me and asked if I would be coming. I said yes."

Camilla's voice rose in pitch as she asked, "Why?"

"Huh?" Alexander looked confused.

Camilla sighed and rubbed her temples. "Why didn't you just say no?"

Alexander tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Say no to what?"

Camilla groaned. "To coming to the birthday celebration. Why did you have to say yes?"

Alexander's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "Wait, so you intentionally didn't tell me about it? You didn't forget?"

Camilla rolled her eyes and sighed again. "Yes, I intentionally didn't tell you."

Alexander's accusatory tone made Camilla let out another groan. "And that means you were ignoring my calls intentionally too," he said.

"I wasn't intentionally ignoring your calls, Alexander," Camilla said, her voice barely above a whisper, but her tone seemed to lack conviction.

"So you mean I drove all the way to your office and then to your house for nothing?" Alexander asked, his annoyance evident in his voice.

"Don't talk to me like that," Camilla snapped back. "You made the decision to come here on your own."

Confused and hurt, Alexander asked, "Did I do something wrong or say something I shouldn't have?"

"No, it's not about that," Camilla replied, her voice defensive. "I just don't want you to come to my grandmother's birthday celebration. I already told my mom you weren't coming. I don't know why she had to go ahead and invite you."

"Why can't I meet your family? You met mine, so what's wrong in meeting yours?" Alexander asked, his brows furrowing.

Camilla let out a frustrated sigh. "Because we're not a real couple, Alexander. Our relationship is just for show, to redeem my image in the public eye. Meeting each other's families is something real couples do."

She paused, taking a deep breath to calm herself. "Please don't get carried away with this. It's all just an act," Camilla said, her voice breaking as she spoke.

Alexander stood in silence, his mind racing as he tried to process everything Camilla had just revealed to him. He finally nodded slowly, his voice barely above a whisper.

"If that's what you're comfortable with, I understand..." he said softly, avoiding eye contact with Camilla as he fidgeted with his fingers.

Without another word, he turned and made his way out of the living room, his footsteps echoing through the hallway.

As Alexander left, Camilla was left standing alone in the room, her thoughts racing. Suddenly, Lily, the housekeeper, appeared beside her.

"Should I get you a drink, ma'am?" Lily asked, her tone gentle.

Camilla jumped slightly at the sudden appearance of the housekeeper, her irritation momentarily getting the better of her.

"When did you get here?" Camilla snapped, her tone sharper than she intended.

"I just arrived, ma'am," Lily replied, her voice faltering slightly under Camilla's stare.

Realizing that she had been harsh with the housekeeper, Camilla took a deep breath and tried to compose herself.

"No, thank you, Lily. I'm fine. I just need to go change my clothes, and then I'll be off to my parents' house," she said, her voice more even now.

With that, Camilla headed off towards her room, hoping that some time alone would give her a chance to sort out her thoughts and emotions.